Grocery shopping is a personal thing. Grocery marketers would like to think they give you an experience. We all know why we go to specific stores. There are intangibles beyond prices and convenience that draw people in. Costco and Sam's Club has the warehouse-bulk niche. Trader Joe's has the specialty items. Whole Foods makes you … Continue reading Grocery shopping as an experience→

When I was a kid, it seemed unheard of the time spent in people's cars commuting in places like Los Angeles. Los Angeles is here. These are my latest articles (for one I partnered with fellow reporter Kate Martin) and what people face on the road working the Olympia-to-Seattle corridor. Some drive from the Oregon border. … Continue reading Why I commute→

Have you been to a Trader Joe's lately? I remember when they opened on my birthday in Olympia a few years ago. We stayed away for weeks knowing we wouldn't be able to get into the parking lot. When we finally did go, we had to circle the lot a few times, park far away … Continue reading Let’s talk grocery stores for a minute→

So this has turned into two weeks of an Amazon beat for me, and it never ceases to surprise me. First, the company had an impromptu hiring event in Tacoma. Then we needed to tell people where to find work if Amazon didn't hire them. Then, Amazon decided to announce they are opening a new warehouse in Sumner. … Continue reading The delivery race is on→

Hey, I'm back! Just a quick note that I'm now reporting for my longtime employer, The News Tribune in Tacoma, after working as business section team leader since 2011. Our newsroom is changing, and I asked to change along with it. Here's my (sort of) first bylined report. I've gone by another moniker "Staff Report" … Continue reading New job title and a blog reboot→

I'm late to the party of "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up." The author already has written a sequel to her first book. Luckily, the quietude of our new surroundings (and the fact that exterior home improvement has to wait for a better month than January) is now allowing me to catch up with things … Continue reading The magical art of silence→